Wheel-flange-lubricating mechanism.



R. H. SCROGGINS. WHEEL FLANGB LUBRICATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILEDJULYa1,191a.

Patented July 21, 1914.

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R. H. SGROGGINS. WHEEL FLANGB LUBRIGATING MEGHANISM.

APLIOATION FILED JULY 31, 1913,

Patented July 21 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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marre sr'ilngpgrn OFFIC ROBERT H. SCROGGINS, 0F VIENNA, VIRGINIA,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TG JOSEPH II. BRADLEY, 0F VASI-IINGTN, DISTRICT OFCOLUMBIA.

WHEEL-FLANGE-LUBRICATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July ai, rara.

Application filed July 31, 1913. Serial No. 782,342.

My present invention is an improved means for lubricating car wheelflanges, particularly the wheels of street cars to thereby materiallyfacilitate the application of the grease to the wheel flanges forreducing the friction between the car wheel flanges and the curvedtraclr sections on which they run and also overcome the grinding noisesincident in the ordinary running of the' wheel ianges when roundingcurves.

Another and important purpose of my present invention is the providingof an improved means for gradually applying the lubricant to the wheelflanges automatically and in such a manner that the grease isintermittently fed to the wheel flanges.

My present invention relates more particularly to that type oflubricating means disclosed in my copending application, Serial No.769245, led May 22, 1913, and one of the objects of this invention is tosimplify the construction of my other lubricating means referred to andrender the operating of feeding the lubricant the more positive andeconomical.

Another feature of my present invention lies in the improvedconstruction of the grease applying or smearing nozzle brush thatengages the wheel flange.

VJith other objects in'view, all of which will be hereinafter referredto, my present invention embodies the peculiar and novel combination andarrangement of parts that will be hereinafter explained in detail, bespecifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a plan view of my improved wheel flange lubricating means,the parts being shown at the normal position, when ,he car trucks aretraveling straight ahead. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of thelubricating cylinders and its cooperating lubricant applying devices,the nozzle with its flange wiping brush, being at the elevated or normalposition. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cuter end of one of the maincylinders, the lubricant applying devices being shown at the operating`or flange engaging position. line on Fig. 3 looking in the direction ofthe arrow. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially on theline 5-5 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6on Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the tubular rotarylubricant feed controlling valve, withits operating gear applied. Fig. 8is a longitudinal sectien of the brush end of the distributing nozzle.'Fig. 9` is a perspective View thereof. Fig. 10 is a detail perspectiveview of the casing lfor the brush and hereinafter specifically'referredto. Fig. 11 is a detail cross section on the line 11-11 on Fig. 1. Fig.12 is a detail cross section of the wiping head of the flange engagingbrush, on line 12-12 of Fig. `9.

In my present construction of car wheel flange lubricating mechanism, Iuse a lubricant holding cylinder 1, mounted on the car truck in anysuitable manner, one of such cylinders being located in advance of eachof the car wheels as is clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Lilie in the construction shown in my copending applica-tion, eachcylinder is arranged for being quickly recharged with heavy lubricantland has a screw cap 2 at one end through which the grease is enteredinto the cylinder. The cylinders in my present case each have theplunger 3 and spring 4 devices and tbe adjusting screw shaft 5 andhandewheel 6 as in my other pending-application, to provide forconstantly forcing the thickl lubricant contained within the cylinder,toward the aperture 7 through which the lubricant passes to the meansfor applying the same to the car wheel flange.

In my former construction, as shown in my copending application, thegrease passes out through 'a laterally projected nozzle which cooperateswith a cut-off gate automatically opened at predetermined times topermit of a discharge of the grease to the applying brush or to theflange wiper devices. From practical experience I have found that attimes the supply of the-thick grease is too fast and hence it does notdevelop all of the advantageous features desired in a mechanism of thiskind.

In my present case I providea supplemental grease holding cylinder orcup 8 for eachvof the main cylinders 1, which cup is Fig. l is a crosssection on the- ICQ arranged in opposing sets.

proper, (see Fig. 8). In practice, the nozzle passage is say,-one inchin diameter, and the bore or passage of the pipe section at the deliveryend is reduced to one-half an inch in diameter to prevent any possibleeX- cess amount of the lubricant passing to the brush device, thepeculiar construction of which forms an essential feature of my presentinvention.

The brush device, comprises a large number of thin wire strands,preferably copper,y

These strands are first laid flatwise around the pipe section,k 16=L andare firmly secured at their inner ends to the said pipe section by asleeve of solder designated 34e on Figs. 8 and 9. The, two opposing setsof strands are then di-y vided and bent outwardly, then downwardly, andback upwardly and their outer or freel ends bent back upon the upperside of theh reducing nozzle section 33 to which the said ends aresecured by soldering,-designated 36. To keep down an undue heating'.l ofthe nozzle, the wire strands before they are bent back and secured as inFig. l2, are interlaced with asbestos or mineral wool 37 (see Fig. l2).i Y By twisting the wire strands and securingi them to the pipe portionsof the brush, substantially V shaped wiping head 3S com-v posed of wirestrands is provided, and the formation of the brush being such that whenit is lowered to the wheel flange it straddles the said flange A(seeFigs.-8 and 5), in such a manner that little or none of the lubricantbeing applied, is wasted. To hold the wire formed brush to shape and atthe same time protect it from the weather, the said brush is inclosed bya casing l1 (see Fig. l0) shaped to fit aroundthe said brush.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings,the complete construction, the manner in which my improved wheel flangelubricating mechanism operates and its advantages will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates.

The construction and the cooperation of the parts permits of readilyadjusting them to adapt them for use on trucks of different gage, andsince the shifting means, the link bar that joins with the oppositelydisposed controlling valves is coperatively connected with the swingablegrease applying nozzles, it follows that the operation of dropping thesaid nozzles to bring their brush ends onto the wheel flange and thesetting of the controlling valves is simultaneous, as the car trucksround the curves, the said nozzles and the valves being likewisereversely actuated when the car trucks leave the curve for thestraightway track. While the arrangement of the parts shown anddescribed disclose a preferred construction, the details of constructionshown may be readily varied or modified without departing from myinconnected with the valve, means that joins said member with the carbody for moving the said member laterally in reverse directions as thecar body swings laterally when passing over curves to thereby shift thecontrolling valve to open and close the fluid passages between the inletand outlet of the grease cup. v

2. A wheel flange lubricating mechanism that comprises the followingelements in combination; a lubricant holding cup having an inlet and anoutlet, means for normally forcing a lubricant into the said inlet, avalve device that controls the ow of the lubricant through the cup fromthe inlet to the outlet thereof, aA wheel flange smearing member incommunication with the outlet from the cup, a power transmitting memberconnected with the valve, means that joins the said member with the carbody for moving the said member laterally in reverse directions as thecar body swings laterally when passing over curves to thereby shift thecontrolling valve to open and close the fluid passages between the inletand outlet of the grease cup, said transmitting member being formed ofsections, and means for longitudinally adjusting the said sections withrespect to each other.

3. A wheel flange lubricating mechanism that comprises the followingelements in combination; a lubricant holding cup having an inlet and anoutlet, means for normally forcing a lubricant into the said inlet, avalve device that controls the flow of the lubricant through the cupfrom the inlet to the outlet thereof, a wheel flange smearing member incommunication with the outlet from the cup, a power transmitting memberconnected with the valve, means that join the said member with the carbody for moving the said member laterally in reverse directions as thecar body swings laterally when passing over curves to thereby shift thecontrolling valve to open and close the fluid passages between the inletand outlet of the grease cup, and means carried by the transmittingmember for setting the smearing member into and out of-engagement withthe wheel flange as the controlling valve is shifted.

Il. In a wheel flange lubricating mechanism, a lubricant containerhaving a dis-f` charge through Which the lubricant is ejected, means fornormally forcing the lubricant through the said discharge, asupplemental grease holding cylinder or cup in comnnuiication with thesaid discharge, the said cup haring an outlet, a smearing member incommunication with the said outlet, a tubular valve rotatably mountedWithin the grease cup, said valve having radial apertures adapted to bealternately brought into communication with the inlet and outlets ot thegrease cup, means connected with the said rotatable tubular valve andwith the car body whereby to automatically shift the said valves as theca truck passes onto and from the curved trackway sections.

ln combination a lubricant holding cylinder haring a discharge meansthat coperates with the cylinder for creating a continuous force feed ofthe lubricant through the said discharge, a pivotally supported smearingmember adapted to swing in the vertical plane and to drop against theWheel flanges, 'a lubricant feedvvay in constant communication with thesmearing` member, a valve coperatively connected With the said t'eedwayfor controlling the passage of the grease therethrough to the smearingmember, and operative connect-ions between the car body and the valveand the smearing member for shifting' the said smearing member and thevalve at times When the wheel truck enters and passes over curved tracksections.

G. A car Wheel lubricating mechanism of the character stated incombination With a source ot grease supply, connections between the carbody7 and the supply for etecting a flow of the said supply as the carWheels pass onto a curved track section, oi" a smearing member incommunication With the said source of grease supply, the said smearingmember including a smearing' head shaped to fit over the Wheel lange andcomposed of a series ot copper Wire strands bent up and shaped to formthe said head devices.

7 A car wheel lubricating mechanism of the character stated 1ncombination with a source ot grease supply, connections between the carbody and the supply for effecting a flow of the said supply as the carWheels pass onto a curved track section, of a smearing member incommunication with the said source of grease supply, the said smearingsubstantially non-heat conducting substance interwoven with the saidWires.

8. A car Wheel lubricating mechanism of the character stated incombination with a source of grease supply, connections between the carbody and the supply for effecting a lloW of the said supply as the carWheels pass onto a curved track section, of a smearing member incommunication With the said source of grease supply, the said smearingmember including a smearing head shaped to'it over the Wheel flange andcomposed of a series of copper Wire strands bent up to shape to form thesaid head devices, a substantially non-heat conducting substanceinterwoven with the said Wires, and a jacket shaped to fit over thesmearing member and the brush head.

9. ln a car Wheel lubricating mechanism of the character stated, thecombination with a source of lubricant supply, means for effeet-ing theoW of the lubricant as the car Wheels pass on to a curved track, of asmearing member in communication With the source of grease supply, thesmearing member including a head portion shaped to fit over the Wheelflange and composed of an inner or body portion of pliable material andan outer or casing portion of sheet metal.

ROBERT H. SCROGGINS.

Witnesses FRED G. DmTnnroI-r, MAE lMMIoI-I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatents. Washington, D. C.

